When you’re choosing kitchen countertops, you want something that looks amazing but also holds up as a great kitchen workhorse. After all, those counters are expected to handle a lot of food preparation and family gatherings while still looking beautiful.

With endless options available these days, it’s easy to feel intimidated when it’s time to make a choice. To make it a bit easier, here are a few of the top considerations to keep in mind before making your purchasing decision.

1 – Do You Care About Maintenance?

Some types of materials come with a lot of maintenance, while others only require a regular wipe-down when counters are dirty. Go with granite countertops Denver or other porous materials like limestone or marble and you need to seal them yearly. Wooden countertops can require oil a couple of times a year. Know the demands of living with different materials before making a choice.

2 – How Will You Use Your Countertops Most?

Think about how you and your family use the kitchen. Do you do a lot of cooking? Does a lot of snacking take place in your kitchen? Are you worried about food stains? Do you cook multiple times a day or only a few times a week? How you use your kitchen and countertops will help you determine the best options for your needs.

3 – Know Your Size Requirements

It’s helpful if you know how many linear feet you’ll need in your countertop material of choice. Knowing any dimensions for the counters that aren’t standard will also help. This will help you determine prices as you compare materials. If you happen to have an island, you may want to go with an affordable option, while still choosing more expensive materials for the rest of your adjacent counters.

4 – Keep Budget in Mind

Budget is probably one of the top considerations as you’re choosing your countertops. Plastic laminate begins at about $22 per square foot, but if you go with top-grade granite countertops or marble, then you could pay as much as $250 per square foot. Prices vary widely and depend on local builders and suppliers. Know your budget, but if your ideal material costs just a bit more than you planned, it’s often worth it since you’ll be living with this decision for years.

5 – What Materials Grab Your Attention?

Aesthetics is important. After all, you have to look at the counters every day for years. You want countertops that really speak to you. Think about what materials really grab your attention. What makes you do a double-take? Knowing what you love looking at can make up for any shortcomings the material may have. So while budget, maintenance, and other considerations are important, you want to have countertops in your kitchen that you love looking at each day.